Job Discussion Forums

[Kymro]

[Grrrmachine]

It certainly is interesting reading all this, and about arguing over money. Im certainly not going to take sides here, but I DO think it's possible to make something like that money in Warsaw. Im not getting it, but the amount of work around (and if you're willing to hardball the admin into 45PLN for 45mins) you could get up there, I suppose.

I WAS trying to buy an apartment here, but this PESEL stuff is still holding me up (cant get the landlord to give me a registered address)

Alex, what schools are you working in in Warsaw?

[Kymro]

[Alex Shulgin]

[Grrrmachine]

I certainly can't claim to be as experienced as others here (my financial knowledge of Poland is still limited) and I'm certainly not trying to challenge anyone - Im just posting so that other prospective workers here can get a good idea.

I came here to work a year with a privte school (read that as an eight month contract) which paid 4000zl a month. In June I switched to freelance work, working short term contracts in businesses and paying the 10% tax rate - I am provided with these contracts by two seperate schools, as well as my private classes. Considering the hours Im offered, THATS why I think it's feasable to earn around 5000zl a month after tax, and with sufficient proof of earnings to give to the mortgage man.

HOWEVER, working this route, with cancellations (and the current holliday period) I still havent hit that 5000zl mark yet. But I dont agree that it's impossible

[Alex Shulgin]

[Kymro]

[Grrrmachine]

I havent had a holiday since I came here. *sniff*

[XXX]

I guess you went to the wrong place.

[Grrrmachine]

*laughs*

it's not that, I just actually (shock horror) like my job enough not to have to run back to England every six months.

Although I do REALLY need a bacon sandwich with brown sauce.

[dmb]

[Tumteetum]

[Alex Shulgin]

[Kymro]

I think this will be my last post on this subject, and it might be amusing to examine some of 'Alex's' claims in detail.

'Alex' appears obsessed with the idea that he is making more money than everyone else here. The reason he achieves this is because he claims he works 48 weeks in the year when a normal language school year covers only 30 weeks. If this is true he is not making any more money per hour, merely working more hours.

I personally doubt he works 48 weeks anyway. The normal Xmas break lasts for 2 weeks as does the winter break. That would account for his whole 4 week holiday, leaving no time for the Easter vacation, the many red letter days in Poland, and a summer holiday.

'Alex' may claim his clients are business people (possibly the most unreliable clients). So in that case do these people never get ill, take a holiday themselves, go on business trips or just cancel lessons for no good reason

Even if he does work for 48 weeks it would not appear to me to be a good idea anyway. To teach 4 weeks every single month would leave the teacher somewhat jaded.

'Alex' also claims I don't want people to know how much it is possible to earn in Poland. In reality he is merely deluding himself. Most language school owners would far rather pay 50 PLN an hour than 3k PLN a month because if you pay someone per hour you have absolutely no responsibility for their welfare. If there is no work for them to do you can just tell them to *beep* off. Not so with someone who receives a monthly salary.

And btw 50 PLN per hour is the same as 3k PLN per month when holidays are taken into account.

Now lets have a look at some of the other things 'Alex' has written on this forum. He once claimed to have bought his 180k PLN flat in 4 rather than 7 years, and he also boasts of having purchased a brand new BMW (cost >100k PLN).

Add the two together, and assuming 'Alex' did not have to pay interest, then you come to an expenditure of 280k PLN over a four year period.

Now if 'Alex' avoids the tempation of going on holiday and the necessity of paying tax his 5k PLN per month amounts to 60k PLN per year.

4 X 60k PLN comes to 240k PLN over a 4 year period, leaving a shortfall of 40k.

I presume this shortfall could be made up by providing korepeticia.

An interesting question would be, however, what exactly he ate during this frenzied period of money grabbing, particularly as he also claims to be appreciative of fine restaurants, and something of a wine critic.

This whole debate came about as 'Alex' became indignant when someone rather foolishly suggested there was little money to be made in Poland, as Alex regards himself as something of a young upwardly mobile professional.

Well lets make some comparisons.

On average Poles earn 1/5 of what English people earn.

'Alex' boasts of making Ł10k sterling per annum when the average teacher in England earns at least Ł20k.

This summer I stayed with a friend in North Wales. He is the headmaster of a rural Welsh medium primary school with 70 pupils. He earns Ł43k sterling per annum. Unlike our friend 'Alex' he gets paid holidays, and will receive a substantial pension when he retires.

Curiously I didn't hear any boasting about money or talk of top of the range sports cars from him.

He has however bought himself a $250k house, but then as he makes 4 times more than 'Alex' does this is no great surprise.

I also know someone who owns a chain of schools in Gdansk and who stated he didn't like being treated as 'the poor relation' when he returned to England.

There are many good reasons why someone might wish to come to Poland, but making your fortune is not one of them.

And Alex/Harry, obviously you are too full of sh*t to pay attention to anything I or anyone else might write on this subject, but I think its high time you realised you are universally regarded as a pathetic public school prat by by the expat teaching community in Poland, and I think its time you took a step back and looked at yourself and the silly bullshit you come out with.

'Cos to everyone else it simply isn't credible.

[Alex Shulgin]

^ Why not try doing a bit of good for the teaching community? Try posting advice instead of smears on Polang. Try giving unbiased advice here instead of claiming that people who post the real wages offered in Warsaw are full of sh*t. Try being helpful instead of being a bitter twisted laughable figure. Go back thru your posts here and try to find just one which has useful advice or constructive criticism. You don�t seem to want to help anybody with any of your posts so perhaps you�d like to pack up your toys and go play someplace else.